While cold and flu outbreaks peak in the UK in January and February, the sniffle season officially gets underway the start of October.

Schools and nurseries are breeding grounds for germs - with those new to the classroom making friends with fresh strains of cold and flu for the first time. But there is one simple thing parents can do to that will help keep the bugs at bay...

Leading UK pharmacist Shamir Patel is urging parents to get kids out of their uniform and into the bath or shower as soon as they get home from studying. And he says it won’t just reduce infections, it’ll help to ‘decontaminate’ the home, too.

Shamir, founder of online chemist www.chemist-4-u.com and himself a father of three, explained: “To some people, this tip will sound like an old wives’ tale. But there’s actually some very sound logic to it, and I believe it’d help reduce the number of cold and flu infections we see in the UK.

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“We know that rhinoviruses, a common cold-causing virus, can linger on the skin and remain infectious for more than an hour after first exposure. It can also linger on surfaces and clothing.

“The Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), another cold-like virus, can survive on worktops and door handles for up to six hours, on clothing for up to an hour and on skin for up to 20 minutes. “But by getting your children out of their clothes and into the bath or shower when they first get in from school - and before you start preparing their dinner - they don’t get a chance to spread the bacteria all over your home.

"This will likely prevent others in your family becoming unwell in the process. And it’s such a simple way to beat the bugs. “Wash any fabrics that may be contaminated with bacteria or viruses at 60C (140F), preferably with a bleach-based laundry product.

“And remember - you need to decontaminate your home to stop it becoming a melting pot for a whole host of nasty illnesses.”

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He adds “Bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter can cause really horrible bouts of food poisoning, with the young and old particularly vulnerable.

“And these germs can survive for around four hours on fabrics like school uniforms.

“Meanwhile norovirus and C. difficile can survive for much linger than that. One recent study showed how C. difficile can survive for up to survive for five months on certain surfaces.

“Again, if you can stop the spread in its tracks by taking pre-emptive measures the minute the kids come in through the front door, you’ll have a much better chance of not succumbing yourself. “It’s also vital you wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, particularly after going to the toilet, and prepare food safely.”

The flu jab is free on the NHS for children over the age of six months with a long-term health condition. It’s also free for children aged two and three on August 31 2018, and children in reception class and school years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 - with the young regarded as 'super spreaders’. Children aged between six months and two years are given an injected flu vaccine, whereas children aged between two and 17 are given the flu vaccine nasal spray.

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Earlier this month Public Health England revealed a new ‘enhanced’ flu vaccine for the over-65s which will protect against three strains of flu. Prof Jane Cummings, chief nurse for England, said: "Faced with the worst flu season in a decade, NHS staff last winter did a remarkable job providing care for patients. "This year, the public will be better protected from flu than ever before, with at-risk groups being offered the most effective vaccine available and every member of NHS staff expected to get their jab.”

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